Railway-rail joint.



No. 732,317. PATENTED JUNE 30, 1903.

. T. POWELL.

RAILWAY RAIL JOINT. APPLICATION FILED APR 21, 1903.

H0 MODEL.

- 7 Y \7 E \ww M al hforge ys U ITED STATES iatented J urie 30, 1903.

THOMAS POWELL, OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY-RAIL JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 732,317, dated June 30,1903.

Application filed April 21, 1903- Serial No. 153.653. (N model.)

To all whom itmay concern: v

Be it known that I, THOMAS POWELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Swiss-.

vale, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented a new and useful Railway-Rail Joint, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to railway-rail j oints,

and has for its object to improve devices of this character and producea joint which will firmly support the adjacent rail ends and ef-- theclaims.

In the drawings illustrative of the invention, in which correspondingparts are denoted by like designating characters, Figure 1 is a sideelevation of the joint from inside, and Fig. 2 is a side elevation fromoutside, the rail. Fig. 3 is a side elevation with the cap-plateremoved. Fig. 4 is a side elevation with the cap-plate and lock-plateremoved.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section on the line 5 5- of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is atransverse section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a perspectiveview of a portion of the lock-plate. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of oneof the clamp-bolts detached.

The adjacent rail ends are denoted by the characters 10 11 and areprovided with spaced apertures in their vertical "webs, preferablyelongated to provide for the expansion and contraction in the ordinarymanner.

Upon one side of the rails, preferably upon the inner sides, is aclamp-plate 12, having transverse apertures corresponding with anddisposed to register with the apertures in the rails, except thatbeneath one of the end apertures a wedge-shaped lug 13 is formed,

with its thin end next the aperture and with upwardly-curving lateralwings 27., as shown in Figs. 1 and 6, the object to be hereinafter.

explained. Disposed upon the opposite side of the vertical webs of therails is an opposing clamp-plate 14, preferably of steel and providedwith spaced apertures corresponding to and registering with theapertures in the rails and inner clamp-plate.

Transversely disposed through all the reg istering apertures in theclamp-plates and rails,except one of the end series, are threadedclamp-bolts 15, having nuts 16, and by which means the clamp-plates andrails are firmly united.

As many of the registering apertures will be employed as may berequired, but generally six will be sufficient, three upon each side ofthe joint between the rails 10 11, as shown, and with five of thethreaded clampbolts, three upon one side and two upon the other side ofthe central point, as shown.

Each of the clamp-bolts extends beyond its respective nut and isprovided with oppositely-disposed recesses 17 just outside the nuts 16,leaving portions of the bolt intact outside the recesses, as shown.

Disposed outside the plate 14: is a lockplate 18, having spacedapertures 19, corresponding to and registering with the apertures in theplates 12 14 and rails 10. 11.

The inner face of the lock-plate 18 is formed with longitudinal spacedribs 28 29, forming a channel for the nuts 16 and in which they are heldand prevented from turning, the lockplate thus forming a nut-lockingmeans, as shown.

All the apertures 19 in the plate 18, except the one at the end,corresponding to the vacant series above noted, are extended at oneside, the extensions corresponding in'width to the necks of theclamp-bolts between the recesses 17 and with inclinedside walls 20, asshown in Figs. 3 and 7. By this arrangement after the nuts 16 are set upas tightly as necessary the lock-plate 18 is set over the outer ends ofthe clamp-bolts and then moved longitudinally, which will cause theinclined portions 20 to pass beneath the heads formed by the recesses 17and thus draw the plate 18 into close engagement with the plate 14 byits ribs 28 29, as will be obvious. The portions of the clamp-boltsoutside the recesses 17 extend beyond the lock-plate, and to protectthese ends and likewise. form a protection to the recesses and aperturesa coverstrip 21 is employed having apertures corresponding to theclamp-bolts and likewise having an aperture at one end corresponding tothe vacant apertureabove mentioned.

' Extending from the lock-plate 18 is a stud 22, engaging acorresponding aperture in the cover-plate andrwith a transverse apertureoutside the latter to receive a collet key or wedge 23, as shown, bywhich means one end of the cover-plate is secured in position.

The before-mentioned vacant series of registering apertures in the parts12, 11, 14, 18, and 21 are adapted to receive a clamp-bolt 24, having ahead 25 at one end anda transverse aperture at the other end, the latterdisposed above the wedge-lug 13, in vertical alinement therewith, andadapted to receive a split keywedge 26, which when driven downward willbe spread apart by the central projection of the stop 13 and fit againstits wings 27, and thus firmly lock thebolt 24 in position. The wedge-keythus acts in two directions, one to draw the parts firmly together andthe other to prevent the removal of the bolt unless the distended endsbe restored to their original form by the forcible withdrawal of thewedgepin, a movement which will not take place when the device is in useand which will not be affected by any jarring or concussion to whichthey will be subjected. By this simple arrangement a very rigid andstrong joint is formed which not only securely holds the rail endstogether, but also prevents any loosening by the jarring or concussionsto which they will be subjected and which will not permit any deflectionat the joints by the weight of the passing trains. The device alsoserves as an efieetual locking means to prevent any backward movement ofthe nuts 16.

The cover-plate 21 serves an importantpurpose in protecting the partsfrom moisture and dust and the bad effects of snow and ice and istherefore a very important feature of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is- 1. In arailway-rail joint the combination with the adjacent rail ends having aplurality of spaced transverse apertures through the vertical webs, of aclamp-plate having apertures registering with the apertures in said railends and engaging one side of the webs, an opposing clamp-plate havingcorrespondin g apertures and engaging the .opposite sides of the webs,threaded clamp-bolts engaging said registering apertures and providedwith nuts and with transverse recesses in advance of the nuts, alock-plate having apertures corresponding to said clamp-bolts, saidapertures having contracted extensions with inclined shoulders andadapted to engage the recessed portions of the bolts and serving toforcibly compress the lock-plate relative to the nuts, substantially asspecified.

2. In a railway-rail joint the combination with the adjacent rail endshaving a plurality of spaced transverse apertures through the verticalwebs, of a clamp-plate having apertures registering with the aperturesin said rail ends, and engaging one side of the webs, an opposingclamp-plate having corresponding apertures and engaging the oppositesides of the webs, threaded clamp-bolts engaging said registeringapertures and provided with nuts and with transverse recesses in advanceof the nuts, a lock-plate having spaced longitudinal ribs engaging saidopposing clampplate and provided with apertures corresponding to andengaging said clamp-bolts in advance of said nuts, said apertures havingeontracted extensions having inc-lined shoulders and engaging theclamp-bolts opposite said recesses, and serving to compress saidlockplate in position relative to said opposing clamp-plates andlikewise forming a nut-locking medium, substantially as specified.

3. In a railway-rail joint, the combination with the adjacent rail endshaving a plurality of spaced transverse apertures through the verticalwebs, of a clamp-plate having apertures registering with the aperturesin said rail ends and engaging one side of the webs, an opposingclamp-plate having corresponding apertures and engaging the oppositesides of the webs, threaded clamp-bolts engaging said registeringapertures and provided with nuts and with transverse recesses in advanceof the nuts, a lock-plate having apertures corresponding to saidclamp-bolts, said apertures having contracted extensions with inclinedshoulders and adapted to engage the walls of the recessed portions ofthe bolts and serving to forcibly compress the lock-plate relative tothe nuts, and a cover-plate having spaced apertures corresponding to andadapted to engage the extending ends of said clampbolts, and means fordetachably connecting said cover-plate to said lock-plate, substantiallyas specified.

4. In a railway-rail joint, the combination with the adjacent rail endshaving a plurality of spaced transverse apertures through the verticalwebs, of a clamp-plate having apertures registering with the aperturesin said rail ends and engaging one side of the webs, an opposingclamp-plate having correspondin g apertures and engaging the oppositesides of the webs, threaded clamp-bolts engaging said registeringapertures and provided with nuts and with transverse recesses in advanceof the nuts, a lock-plate having apertures corresponding to saidclamp-bolts, said apertures having contracted extensions with inclinedshoulders and adapted to engage the walls'of the recessed portions ofthe bolts and serving to forcibly compress the lock-plate relative tothe nuts, a cover-plate having spaced apertures corresponding to andadapted to engage the extending ends of said clamp-bolts, a studprojecting from said lock-plate and adapted to engage an aperture insaid coverplate and provided with a transverse aperture to receive aholding-pin, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aifixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS PO\VELL.

Witnesses:

JOHN MAKIN, HARRY BELL.

